It's a sad truth, but The Simple Life 2: Road Trip is shaping up to be a formidable guilty pleasure. The episodes are getting funnier, the interactions more normal, and the staginess less prevalent. After last week's impressive installment, Bunim/Murray seemed to top themselves yet again, although they did stumble in an awkward, if not amusing, segment at the ballpark. Still, it seems like the show has finally found its groove, and amazingly, we have the two gals to thank for it.
Bunim/Murray dropped its usual sarcastic style - for about two seconds at least - as Paris and Nicole showed up at the doorstep of the Cash family, a gospel singing, God-fearing Southern black family. Once again, we were treated to the obligatory comments about how this clan was going to whip everyone right into shape, but if there's anything we know about Bunim/Murray Productions, it's that they do love their misdirection.
Paris and Nicole actually were pretty well behaved, except for when Nicole dropped a few F-bombs at the table, causing Mama Cash to level her down with an evil eye. The show's sound editor most likely reveled in getting to use his little violin sound again, probably his favorite contribution next to the occasional "boing" that punctuates most scenes.
Despite moments of vulgarity, Paris and Nicole got along swimmingly with their hosts. They seemed to have pleasant dinner banter, and the girls didn't even complain when the matriarch demanded that they clean up their trailer. I suppose it didn't hurt that the two Cash daughters helped with the proceedings, but surprisingly, Paris and Nicole didn't rest their tired bods while the other girls worked. Why this sudden change in attitude? Did Paris and Nicole actually grow as people? Not really. It just seems as though for once they actually had respect for their host family. So much so that after the cleaning was done, Paris and Nicole went so far as to bond with the daughters by sharing personal stories about friendship and growing up. The next day, Nicole even participated in an impromptu step show, and later, she and Paris demurely let the father preach to them. Whaa? So were these two shiksas finally gaining some emotional depth and perspective?
Don't know really because Fox suddenly realized the show was veering into quality territory. Our meeting with the Cash family was over before we knew it and with a gentle wash of gospel music the girls went off to their latest shenanigans at a minor league baseball park. There, the girls helped with stretches, played catch, observed physical therapy, and traipsed along in a generally annoying sort of way. Since this segment was the official "work" portion of the evening, we knew some staged sabotage would take place. Tonight wasn't so bad. After the team trainer was conveniently called out of the training room, Nicole used some taboo XXX massage cream on a player. I don't think it really hurt him, as evidenced by Fox cutting away to footage of the stadium while all we heard was some clearly pre-recorded yell. If anything, he probably had a happy ending.
Still, despite producer intervention, Nicole managed to make the scene her own as she humorously groaned with the massage and then informed the trainer that she had been a masseuse twenty years ago in Korea. Even I laughed. I guess that's what happens when you rely on wittiness instead of obnoxiousness. Meanwhile, as Nicole became a regular yukster, Paris spent a good deal of this episode hunched over in laughter. For some reason, I get a kick out of watching her cackle in the background. That girl is a giggler. For all her composed appearances with the papparazzi and media, Paris been more of a goofball than a hornball of late. Granted, who can blame her when the baseball guys kept talking of "shagging".
At night, the team took to the field with Paris and Nicole serving as bat girls. Paris happily bounded onto the diamond to retrieve any discarded bats, but she applied about as much hustle as if she were browsing through a salad bar. I'm surprised no runner plowed right into her. Then again, maybe that's what she wanted.